The Silicon Valley start-up formula is so tried and true that it's become cliché. Up and coming entrepreneurial minded mechanical, electrical, or software engineers get valuable experience working for the buzziest players in tech. Then they get the entrepreneurial itch. They quit to launch their own 'thing.'
A recent example is the smart home climate solution company Quilt. All three co-founders are ex-Googlers, following stints with other organizations and industries, and they've clearly curated a strong set of product design, engineering, and marketing skills along the way.
Quilt, like start-up successes Uber, AirBnB, and Nest is attempting to disrupt a sector that hasn't had much innovation in years - the residential HVAC industry. (That's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning).
HVAC isn't the sexiest sector to address, but when Co-Founders Paul Lambert (CEO) and Bill Kee (COO) were considering options for next phases of their careers, they wanted to take a big swing at disrupting a tired market. Accordingly to Lambert, "20% of U.S. global warming emissions come from homes. The largest driver of home emissions is burning fossil fuels for heat.”
After over a year in stealth mode, Quilt announced the close of a $33 million Series A round co-led by Energy Impact Partners and Galvanize Climate Solutions with participation from several others including HGTV's Drew Scott.
“We’ve reached an inflection point in the energy transition and the shift from gas to electric heating and cooling is not only imperative, but also inevitable. Quilt’s approach to climate control brings homeowners a superior heat pump experience while also reducing their energy bills,” said Tom Steyer, Co-Executive Chair, Galvanize Climate Solutions in Quilt's April press release.
Consistent with the Silicon Valley startup playbook, Quilt held a livestreamed public launch event where Lambert, Kee, and Co-Founder and CTO Matthew Knoll, took to a makeshift stage in a home with Quilt installed, and unveiled the complete system, including Quilt's pricing for the first time - $6500 per room, before rebates.
Several components stood out. Quilt's aesthetic, design, and brand is consistently represented across a range of marketing and promotional assets - executive presentations, the website, video, photography, as well as the company's modern, serif font logo.
The team has carried these clean, modern lines into both the industrial design and user interface of the product. The indoor units ship with customizable front faces to blend seamlessly into various rooms, and the Quilt Dial (think Nest-like thermostat) has an angled base for more accessible human - controller interaction, whether wall-mounted or sitting on a nightstand.
The remainder of 2024 and into the first half of '25 are crucial for Quilt's execution and growth, but if their stealth phase to Series A funding round to launch event are a guide, Quilt is poised to disrupt a sleeping industry, while also accelerating society's transition to sustainable energy.
The Redwood City based company is launching in the San Francisco Bay Area first, with Los Angeles announced as a fast follow. Reserve your Quilt here or visit Quilt.com for more information.